it is bulb forcing time! I am going to start my paperwhites this weekend and will start my amaryllis as soon as the bubls come into stores (they must be started 7 weeks prior to Christmas). I love forcing bulbs even tho it is cruel and unusual. Anyone else do it? PS - in this picture, it is done a bit wrong. The bulbs should be touching the water but not sitting in it. The water is a bit high in these pics and may cause the bulbs to rot.

I knew you were kinky

yes, I love a narcissus-scented dungeon

with restraints of braided burlap

from my duvet cover which is really 2 king flat sheets sewn together. Ha!

you have burlap sheets? Dude, loosen the purse strings and spring for a thread count over 100. What's the thread count on burlap, 6?

it really exfoliates me nicely. feel my skin!

I must report that I spent actual money to buy the cat two cat beds, one for the living room, and the other for the bedroom, but she sleeps instead on a burlap sack that is folded up on the counter.

here I am buying cotton sheets like a sucker!

I wouldn't know where to begin. Although I'd like to have a touch of spring in this nasty fall weather we're having. How do you do it?

:) It's fabulous! Good info on amaryllis: Another good link: However, if you force a bulb in water and rocks, the bulb is spent and you throw it away following the bloom. It will have had to use its own nutrients to bloom b/c it could not get nutrients from the soil. It will never bloom again. So sad, right? You can also force in soil in which case you can reuse the amaryllis bulb again the next year if you store it properly. Paperwhite bulbs are spent either way so you may as well force them in water.

If I bought some bulbs and kept them in my vegetable crisper in the fridge for 10 weeks, and then forced them in water, would that work? I'm not sure if I could give up the fridge space for potted bulbs for that long... Do they need to be in either soil or water while they're in the cooling phase?

no, when you are cooling them, just keep them in a bag. Yes, that would work.

yay! I should totally try this. I'm moving though... if I put them in the fridge now, I could put them in the water vases after January xst right? Hey, I could fill my new apartment with spring blossoms! That is exciting!